67 new cases, 41 deaths

02 Where

Ituri accounts for 37 of the 67 new cases. Then Nord-Kivu with 29 and Tshopo with 1. The other 5 provinces report none. 5 zones carry 48 of these 67 cases: Beni 16, Mandima 15, Bunia 9, Butembo 4 and Mabalako 4. 50 of the 66 affected health zones reported at least one new case in the past three weeks; 16 reported none.

03 Deaths

Of the 41 deaths reported today, 23 occurred in the community, that is outside a treatment centre, and 18 in a treatment centre. Deaths outside a centre: 15 in Ituri, 7 in Nord-Kivu and 1 in Tshopo. Those in a treatment centre: 14 in Ituri, 3 in Haut-Uélé and 1 in Nord-Kivu.

04 The response

3,795 reports of possible patients ("alerts") were received; 3,582 were checked and 663 retained as suspected cases, to be tested. Of 462 samples tested in the laboratory, 67 were positive, that is 14.5 %. 79.7 % of the people who had been close to a patient (the "contacts") were seen by follow-up teams, below the 85% threshold the INSP has set itself. Fewer than three contacts in four were seen in the following provinces: Nord-Kivu. Ebola treatment centres hold 65 patients per 100 beds: 952 patients for 1,461 beds. Beyond capacity: Nord-Kivu, 488 patients for 410 beds. Safe burials, carried out by protected teams to avoid contagion: 67 deaths reported, 108 burials carried out, 124 bodies tested. 9 bodies could not be tested because families objected. Around new cases, 34 prevention rings were set up out of 52 expected, that is the disinfection of the home and the follow-up of relatives. Vaccination: 8,762 people have received the Ervebo vaccine since the campaign began on 26 Aug 2026: 4,953 in Tshopo (figure of 27 Sep 2026), 1,500 in Bas-Uélé (figure of 9 Oct 2026), 1,120 in Ituri (figure of 15 Oct 2026), 600 in Nord-Kivu and 589 in Haut-Uélé (figure of 19 Oct 2026). Since the previous bulletin, 128 more in Nord-Kivu.

05 The difficulties encountered

In Ituri, 18 of 71 bodies could not be swabbed, 22 safe and dignified burials failed, blood is short and 11 of the 43 most recent confirmed cases are still waiting for psychosocial support. In Nord-Kivu, the vaccine stock has run out, 57 safe burials have been postponed to the next day, two frontline workers were infected in Mabalako and beds for suspected cases are 90.6% occupied. In Haut-Uélé, 3 of 10 checkpoints did not send their data for lack of network, and rumours of “poison in the water” are fuelling refusals. In Tshopo, 4 confirmed patients who escaped from the Bafwasende centre have still not been found and 9 bodies could not be swabbed because the families were absent. In Bas-Uélé, no safe burial was carried out, 57 suspected cases are isolated without nutritional support and only 130 of 632 health workers are trained in infection prevention. In Sud-Kivu, none of the 3 reported bodies was swabbed and three entry points have no isolation facility.

The full “Challenges” page →